CINCINNATI — In addition to getting a better grasp of the playbook, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said he also is working on handling his role as a leader.

“I was able to prove myself a little bit last year, and now everyone knows and understands we’re going to be on the same page, and I can voice that a little bit more,” Dalton said Tuesday afternoon prior to the team’s first practice of the three-day mandatory minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium.

Last year when he saw a receiver divert from the designed route, Dalton often deferred to the coaches for correction. But this year he said he feels more confident approaching the player himself.

“I probably should have done a little better job last year, but there were a lot of other things that were on my mind,” Dalton said. “But this year, I’m comfortable with everybody that we’ve got.”

Four from full

Eighty-one of the 85 players currently on the roster took part in practice Tuesday, with the four exceptions being cornerbacks Leon Hall and Nate Clements, running back Daniel “Boom” Herron and defensive tackle Devon Still.

Herron and Still are rookies who missed most of OTAs along with fellow rookies Dre Kirkpatrick and Shaun Prater.

“There’s the whole mental/physical exhaustion that goes into their preparation to be drafted,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “Then they come in and have their rookie camp and there’s quite a bit of workload. There’s some added anxiety, and they feel that they’re not going to miss anything.

“I think there’s a difference between how we work with them and what they’re used to in the past,” Lewis continued. “We’re interested in their long-term health for us, as opposed to next week. You’ll see us be slower to get guys back to 100 percent to go out there, because otherwise I’m not going to have them anyway. So let’s make sure they’re back and they go through the process, and they go through the steps of rehab that we ask them to go through.”

Tight end discussion

Lewis said the tight ends have been one of the more impressive position groups during OTAs and the start of minicamp.

“Jermaine (Gresham) going to the Pro Bowl last year was the best teaching, coaching experience we could ever have with him for him to mature,” Lewis said. “He’s a different man – very, very confident in himself. Donald Lee has shown why he’s been such a great pro in the NFL. He’s a great mentor for Colin (Cochart) and Orson (Charles). Orson has exceeded in every way my expectations.”